Do you want a Canon Digital Rangefinder?

I really enjoy street photography but an SLR can be a little intrusive at times.

I practically salivate at the sight of an M9, but it's a bit out of my price range... About $8000 out of my price range.

Other than Leica, there isn't a lot of options out there and I'm not sure if I'm sold on cameras like the Olympus PEN.

If Canon came out with a digital rangerfinder, would you buy it?

Nah, never really understand the fascination with rangefinders (and even more so, leicas). Im happy with SLR's

Yes.

if it's full frame. I'd get one. I'd sell my 5d2. I'd get the ContaxG lens adapter. Then I'd get the 21mm Biogon.

I have a Leica 111G and 4 lenses + many accessories. Would I like an RF Canon - yes! Would I pay much for it - NO!
Now a high quality compact with a ff sensor, decent af and metering and a short zoom lens in the 20-70mm range, now that would interest me, but to get a decent F number it wouldn't be a compact!
Doh!

Don't you think this question should be "Do you want Canon to make a compact interchangeable lens camera with a large sensor?" instead of "Do you want a Canon Digital Rangefinder?" The Leica's lack of intrusiveness doesn't really have much to do with the fact that it's a rangefinder so much as its size.

I've got the fuji X100 on pre order. Decided to get it instead of a 35L lens since what I'd use the 35L for is street and I'd rather have a small package for that. If the picture IQ is not there than I can still use it for birthday parties.

Congrats on the preorder purchase!

If they could make one that could use my current lenses, I would be interested.

JoeyBowman wrote in post #11560659
Nah, never really understand the fascination with rangefinders (and even more so, leicas). Im happy with SLR's

It wasn't a facination. It was the technology of the time. before SLR's.

Plus, their lack of mirror, prism, etc. makes them typically smaller than even the smallest (i.e. pre-af) SLRs, which makes for much less intrusive shooting.

For me, it wouldn't have to be a rangefinder in terms of focusing.
What's I'd like to see is a rangefinder-style mirrorless camera with a good EVF or even hybrid viewfinder (like the X100), an APS-C sensor and a lens mount that is electrically compatible to EF (so I can use normal EF/EF-S lenses with an extension tube if I want to).

And of course a set of small/pancake lenses to go with it.

I would like to see this made again in digital.

JoeyBowman wrote in post #11560659
Nah, never really understand the fascination with rangefinders (and even more so, leicas). Im happy with SLR's

The fascination with rangefinders is no more incomprehensible than the fascination with DSLRs; they are simply two different tools for photography. Likewise, the fascination for Leica is no more and, based on market figures, far less than that for Canon and Nikon. Certainly, you understand that different people might want to use different cameras for different styles.

And as noted, for decades, rangefinders were the primary 135 camera available, used not just by 'street photographers,' but by militaries, photojournalists, and combat photographers---check out Robert Capa and Larry Burrows, just to name a few.

In any event, your Canon DSLR owes a lot to the advent of the Leica rangefinder.

I'd like to see a digital version of my old Canonet QL-19 rangefinder.... I bet canon could make it affordable they would sell like crazy!!!